1 Peter 1:1-6 – God’s Election: Our Living Hope…

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1 Peter 1:1-6

(1) Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, (2) Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. (3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (4) To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, (5) Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (6) Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
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This was written in about AD 65, and Peter is having to remind Christians of who they are. We have to be reminded of this because we are a special people to God. Peter focuses on the term “election,” which is the very ground of consolation or encouragement because it means that God knows us. What kind of a gift is that? We are not a faceless blob to Him. He knows us personally and is watching over our lives!

The word election means “those sought out.” God sought us out! Thus believing, understanding, and taking action on this truth is a major part of our hope, that is, that we are indeed special and known by God.

Peter also uses the term “foreknowledge,” which intensifies “election.” When the two of them are taken together in this context, it indicates that God not only foresaw us but caused our relationship to occur because we would have never found Him on our own. To this, the apostle then adds “sanctification.” In this case, it means, not merely set apart, but dedicated for obedience, which Peter mentions. This suggests that God knows us, not merely because He wants to save us, but because He wants us to obey Him.

Taken together, these three terms indicate that God has given us a tremendous gift that not many people on earth have received. It is humbling because every gift carries with it the responsibility to make proper use of it in service to God’s purpose.

The issue Peter is dealing with in this first chapter is why we can have hope: because we have been elected by God. He sought us out purposely to make us acquainted with Him. The Father is the Author of an act of mercy by which we are given a sure hope of being brought into our inheritance. We should be conscious of this without being maudlin or self-righteous.

Peter writes that we have been begotten to a “living hope.” It is a living hope because Christ is alive, and in God’s behalf, He will absolutely carry out His God-given responsibility to us to bring us into His Kingdom.

— John W. Ritenbaugh

To learn more, see:
Trumpets Is a Day of Hope